Battle of the Philippine Sea

The Battle of the Philippine Sea occurred from 19 to 20 June 1944 when the US Navy intercepted a fleet of Imperial Japanese Navy ships heading for the Mariana Islands to reinforce the Japanese garrisons on Guam, Saipan, and Tinian. The Japanese sent out their 750 aircraft to attack the US ships, but the novice Japanese pilots faced 956 battle-hardened US pilots, and the Japanese lost 645 aircraft in the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot". In addition, the Japanese lost the carriers Shokaku and the newest and largest Japanese carrier, Taiho, to US submarines, and the carrier Haiyo was destroyed by US planes the next day. The battle was the largest carrier-to-carrier battle in history.